Launder-classifier.



EUNHED sra'rns "P T orr rcn.

GORDON LAN or S ATTLE, WASHINGTON, AssIGNon T0 LEIGH TON HOWARD SMITH,or SEATTLE, .WASI-IINGTON.

LAUNnER-oLAssIFrER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

- Application filed January 24, 1914. Serial No. 814,202.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GORDON LAND, citizen of the United States, residing.at Seattle, WVashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Launder-Classifiers,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the hydraulic classification of metalliferousores when reduced to finely divided particles, and consists essentiallyin a classifier unit that may be used in sequence attached to a troughor launder into which each unit discharges certain material to be againclassified,the classifications becoming closer in each succeeding unit.

The invention consists as well in providing a classifier wherein all thefine mineral particles, such as float gold, are completely submerged andin having the pulp and assorting channels placed at an angle greaterthan the angle of repose.

With these and other objects in view, the invention includes thefeatures of construction, and arrangement and construction of partshereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claim, itbeing understood that I do not intend to limit myself with regard to thedetails of the different parts of my invention.

I have illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 shows a sectional side view of two of my classifying unitsapplied to a launder box, and Fig. 2 shows a sectional front view of theassorting channel and its clear water inlet.

In the drawings, the ordinal 3 indicates the launder boX in which is abaflie board t for directing the flow of the water and its pulp into thedowntake pulp channel 5 of the classifier. 6 meets the downtake channel5 in a V, as shown in Fig. 1, and both of the channels are placed at anincline greater or steeper than the angle of repose so that the materialpassing through these channels can never maintain repose upon the bottomor sides of these channels. This causes even the finest particles in thedowntake channel to pass immediately to the assorting channel 7 which issubstantially a reduced continuation of the discharge channel 6 and hasthe same angle of inclination. The channels 5 and 6 are preferablyrectangular tubes. 'The assorting channel 7 contracts from its top 8 Thedischarge pulp channel to its rectangular throat 9 andthen. expands toits connectionwith the clear water pipe 10 as shown in Fig. 2. Thiswater pipe 10 has a valve 11 for controlling the inlet of waterthereinto and is arranged at right angles to the assorting channel 7. Ata lower point in this pipe than the entrance of the assorting channel isan outlet 12 for the heavier concentrates which may be con trolled by agate valve, not shown. Extending upwardly from the termination of thepipe 10 is a smaller pipe or gooseneck 13 through which concentrates mayoverflow. The two classifying units shown in Fig. 1 are similar inconstruction and accordingly their parts are similarlynumbered.

In operation the water in the launder with its pulp is diverted into thechannel 5 by the bafiie board 4. The heavier particles tend to depositeupon the lower surfaces of both the down and uptakejubes but the steepinclination of these tubes causes them to slip gradually down into thethroat of the assorting channel, where they encounter an upward flow ofclear water from the pipe 10. With the assorting channel at the sameangle as the discharge channel, the upwardly moving column of water fromthe pipe 10 separates the lighter particles and forces them up thedischarge channel, and into the launder box, while the heavier particlesfall through the throat of the assorting channel into the pipe 10wherein some settle down to the opening 12 from whence they may bewithdrawn and some may be continued out through the gooseneck 13 bypressure of the water in the pipe 10. The fineness of the concentratespassing through the assorting channel is variable with the pressure ofwater flowing upward through the assorting channel so that any desiredsize may be secured at the discharge opening 12 by adjusting the valve11 to regulate the pressure of water in the pipe 10 and the assortingchannel 7. The downward contraction of the channel 7 provides for agradual vertical decrease of current from the narrowest point and theinclined side walls of the contracted portion and the side wall oppositethe feed inlet 5 provide for a gradual presentation of material to a.gradual increasing force of water current, giving it oppor tunity totake up and carry off lighter particles which otherwise might bemechanically carried down by heavier particles.

The discharge from the first classifier, after passing into the launderbox, is again diverted by a baflie board into the downtake channel ofanother similar classifier and the former operation is repeated exceptthat the pressure of the upward flow of clear water through theasserting channel is regulated to be slightly less than the precedingone, and slightly closer concentrates are consequently received fromthis classifier than the former one, and so on. with each succeedingclassifying unit used, giving a dif ferent recovery than theprececungone.

I claim as my invention In combination in an ore classifier, anassorting channel inclined at an angle to the vertical, a dischargechannel in alinement therewith and opening into said assorting channelat its lower end, the lower walls of the two channels lying in a commonplane, said assorting channel having its side walls converging inwardlyto form a contraction below the junction of the two channels, a watersupply pipe connected with said contraction for producing an upward flowof water through said asserting channel into said discharge channel, anda downwardly inclined feed channel for delivering material to theassorting channel at its junction with the discharge channel.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

GORDON LAND. \Vitnesses M. M. GROUT, V. G. PATTERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0

